UNC vs Notre Dame: Keys to Victory

The struggling North Carolina Tar Heels will face one of their stiffer challenges of the season when they head to South Bend to take on the sixth ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Defeating the Irish on their home field will be a major task for Carolina, but if the Heels are to do just that these are a handful of things that must happen.

Limit the Mistakes

The Tar Heels are already facing an uphill battle, so they can’t afford to turn the ball over and shoot themselves in the foot with silly penalties. If UNC can take care of the ball it will not only give the offense a chance to make some plays but it will help that struggling D out because the Notre Dame offense will have to operate on a long field. Should Carolina get sloppy with the pigskin and rack up the penalties; we all know how that story ends. It’s pretty simple, Carolina must play one of their cleaner games of the season or it will be yet another long Saturday afternoon.

Get Pressure on Everett Golson

Putting heat on Notre Dame’s star signal caller is easier said than done but it’s a must if Carolina has aspirations of winning this game. So far this season the UNC pass rush has been M-I-A and Saturday would be a good time to show up. Everett Golson is a dangerous player who get’s the job done with his rocket right arm and his feet. However, just like any other quarterback when he starts to get hit, Golson does his best Gregory Hines impersonation. If the Carolina D can make him a little uncomfortable it could lead to Everett trying to do too much, which could result in the mistake or two the Tar Heels may need to steal this game. UNC can’t allow Golson to sit in the pocket and get into a rhythm because that’s a losing formula. The defense has to get pressure on him early and often or they could get 40 or more dropped on them again.

Get off the Field on Third Down

This is a key factor in most games but it’s even more important for a squad who has lost three games in row, playing with very little confidence and who are a huge underdog on the road. Winning the early downs are big as well but if the Tar Heels can win their fair share of third down battles, It will give the special teams a chance to make an impact and hopefully set the offense up with good field position more times than not. When the Carolina defense has a chance to get the ball back to Marquise Williams and company they have to get the job done. The Notre Dame offense is too good to get extra opportunities and the Tar Heels defense isn’t good enough to overcome them.

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